Just Like Me - for notmeanorgreen

[smash_stuff]

[follows this]

To: bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From: nemogreen@gmail.com

Got your note.

~B.

-------------------------------

He wasn't even sure he should be emailing this guy. It just didn't seem like Ross's style to leave him with an email address written on his hand. Besides, there were too many unanswered questions about this supposed Bruce Banner.

He only vaguely remembered what had happened leading up to the fight and then it was all a blank spot. But he's almost certain there was another....something. It's hard to pick apart what he saw for sure and what he thought he saw.

Bruce sits with his laptop in a dirty apartment somewhere the next town over. His laptop isn't exactly state of the art but it's outdated enough that it shouldn't raise any flags on the internet. He wasn't even going to use the previous code name he had used, Mr. Green. The General would certainly be looking out for that.

Comments

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

Bruce was busy at work when he got the email. Or as busy as you can be with a certain billionaire playboy hovering around ,making jokes.To be honest he had not been expecting it. It seemed like too much of a long shot. Technology like it is,the email could have been traced. Bruce would not have blamed the other man for scrubbing off the ink and heading as far away as possible.

But the ping of his new smart phone ( courtesy of Tony Stark) told him the other Bruce had a different idea. Of course when Bruce's face goes from joking around to serious Stark notices. But , he quickly brushes him off to type in a reply.

To: nemogreen@gmail.com
From:bbanscienceman@gmail.com

Good. Are you feeling any better?



He doesn't bother to sign it. There is nothing he has to hide behind aliases anymore.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

To: bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From: nemogreen@gmail.com

Less angry.
Not sure what happened after the running.

He leaves off the name as well. His email address is just vague enough that nobody would notice it. Nemo, from the latin for nobody, something out of a Jules Verne novel.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

By the time he gets the second email,he is in a more private location , on his own laptop.

To:nemogreen@gmail.com
From:bbanscienceman@gmail.com

Not much. Check the news if you are too curious ,but I don't advice it. I haven't looked and I don't plan to.

Bruce glances at the CNN link on his screen. He is almost tempted to browse it to see if the incident is covered.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

This Bruce smiled to himself. It was a little bitter ,but still a smile.

To:nemogreen@gmail.com
From:bbanscienceman@gmail.com

There are different methods. Meditation. Breathing control. It takes time.



He sits back and hits send. It felt strange speaking about the other guy to someone like this.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

To: bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From: nemogreen@gmail.com

Tried that. Doesn't always work.

Though it's almost comforting in a way that someone else was using the same methods he was. He adds ruefully...

Especially when you've got someone shooting at you. Doesn't exactly help with being calm.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

The next message that he sends is short and almost irritable in tone.

To:bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From:nemogreen@gmail.com

How about you don't running away from the other guy next time?


And Bruce almost regrets being so short with him. But it had to be done. A big part of him thought the other man would reject this idea. After all, the 'other guy' was something to run away from

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

In truth,Bruce does not even expect a reply. He had blown up a bit. It was stupid, and honestly he is ashamed. But then the computer pings.



To: nemogreen@gmail.com
From: bbanscienceman@gmail.com

Yes. Loud and clear. He has quieted down considerably. Sometimes if I throw myself in my work,I can forget he is there.

You were calling her that night. I know her. Obviously. How is she?


His heart aches at the thought of Betty. They hadn't spoken in so long. Bruce had thought it best to break contact. Maybe then she could be happy. Maybe she'd fall for a normal guy who wouldn't hurt her.

Yes. It is a side effect as you have already probably figured out. No sickness. No wounds. No death. So shooting yourself is out of the question.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Another creepy coincidence that he knows Betty? No, he'll just have to accept that for all intensive purposes, this guy WAS him. As strange as that might be.

To: bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From: nemogreen@gmail.com

She said she's ok.

Which Bruce didn't entirely believe but he thought it was better for him to stay away. Like the other man said, he didn't want to hurt her again. He wasn't even sure why she stayed true to him.

....you too?

He won't be surprised if the answer is yes.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

Bruce is relived and a little confused. How is this possible? Is she the same Betty? Have they somehow breached some sort of dimensional gap? ((Did the filmmakers change actors halfway through the series??)) Well the man doesn't have to be surprised.


To:nemogreen@gmail.com
From: bbanscienceman@gmail.com

Yes. The other guy spit the bullet right out. It is impossible.

How can something like this happen? How is this possible?

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

Bruce chuckles. He had been to a great deal more stressful places than those.

To: nemogreen@gmail.com
From: bbanscienceman@gmail.com

The military doesn't care about me. It's YOU who I'm thinking of.

Then as a afterthought


Chuckie Cheese's isn't that stressful actually. I meant somewhere very unlikely. Not necessarily stressful.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

To: bbanscienceman@gmail.com
From: nemogreen@gmail.com

I was going off of scare stories from other people, kids and lots of noise.

Bruce rubs his chin, trying to think of a good spot. He would have to hope that nobody was following this conversation, they had kept names and such out of it as much as possible. He needed someplace where he could disappear if he had to that wouldn't put too many people in danger.

Underpass bridge at fourth and elm, Cleveland Ohio. Before dark.

There was quite a homeless gathering down there he knew of, it would be the perfect place to blend in. For him, anyway. And it was harder to shoot at him during dusk hours, visibility wasn't the greatest.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

To: nemogreen@gmail.com
From: bbanthescieceman@gmail.com

Excellent.



Bruce sits there for a while,thinking.What if this was a mistake? He is not longer in any danger ,but this man still has Ross on his tail. It is crazy.Finally he stands up,stretching. It seems like he had been sitting there for days.

Within a few hours ,Bruce has a bag packed and is on a plane heading for Ohio.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

"Yes." Compared to the man, this Bruce is perfectly calm. While the other is fidgeting,he stands calmly. The only part of him in overdrive is his foot,which is tapping against the ground.

"If you are.." He can't bring himself to fully admit that this man is also him. It is too far-fetched. He just sort of motions,indicating what he means. "I know it was difficult for you to come here. Last time I met someone strange off the internet it caused Manhattan to..be broken." Bruce grimaces at the memory.

"I thought the only way we can figure this out is to meet at one point."

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

"I...yeah." He can't really deny that part about Manhattan. It just makes this situation weirder. Bruce gives him a scrutinizing look, trying to piece this together. "So, you're not military...and you're not Blonsky..." Thank goodness for that.

"But it's just too much of a coincidence to have both of us be..." and he finally says it, "...Bruce Banner." And to both have the same rage monster? No, that wasn't a coincidence.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

When the other says the last thing,Bruce breaths in sharply. There it was. They are both Bruce Banner. They both have the same big green problem. He suppresses a shiver that has nothing to do with the weather


"No. Just curious. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a likely explanation." Bruce squints at him. "We don't even look alike." He keeps thinking that it is some sort of sick joke played on them. Maybe someone will hop from behind a bush and yell surprise. "So you've..yeah..with the Blonsky bussiness? Does that mean we have led the same life? With..B..Betty..and everything?"

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

There is a real smile on his face now. And it is a vast improvement over the faces Bruce is usually pulling. It is like a cloud had moved away."Yes,"he says,"we ,both of us ended up doing some great things. We met some great people. Saved the world even!"

And oh goodness,Bruce sound so proud and content. It is like a different man stepped into his shoes and is speaking.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

He looks back, almost in a longing sort of way. Being content with the skin he's in has never been an option ever since the gamma incident. But oh, how he wishes he could find a way to achieve that.

"Good to hear that," he mumbles, looking down at his shoes for a moment. A smile does cross his face though, there's an impression of being proud of the other guy in the back of his mind. "So weird....the other guy, I mean. I think he likes you." Who could say why. Probably because he was very lonely deep down and now there was someone he could actually relate to.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

At the mention of Betty ,Bruce is back to frowning. He had thought about it and is afraid. What if she had found someone else? What if she did not want to see him again? All these what if swirled in his mind. But a low snort sent them scattering. Someone was okay with the notion.

"I might.. And you..you be working on everything"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

He had thought of all of those things too but, from his perspective, if he couldn't go himself...he'd send someone who could. Because if this other Bruce had a handle on controlling the Hulk, there wasn't going to be a better time to check on her, no matter which way her life had taken her.

Bruce shrugs slightly, "Just surviving." Staying ahead of Ross. Like always.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

It hits and damn it hurts...a lot. There is a moment ,where the Hulk is slumped over on the ground,breathing hard. The whiny scientist in his head is screaming for him to get up. To fight. Take the 'copter down and you can..smash Ross! The creature bares his teeth at the whirling monster. Then has an idea. With a swift motion a nearby tree is uprooted and flung at the helicopter.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

It's too fast for the helicopter to dodge, the tree hitting it square on and the whole thing crashing in a ball of flame. The army keeps thinking of Hulk as a mindless monster, displays of intelligence are not something they're prepared to deal with.

One of the soldiers actually manages to get around behind, trying to drag off the unconscious man. He's not sure why Banner is not the Hulk, but either way he's trying to salvage the mission the only way he can think of. Bruce is still too out of it to wake up, being pulled along like a rag doll under the arms.

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

When Bruce sits up,the Hulk is so pleased. It leans in close for a better look,staring the human up and down. Then snorts,grinning that insane looking smile. Something this big and green had never been this pleased. There is a moment where this Bruce can be seen in the creature's eyes. Something incredibly human reflects back. It pokes him again.

You have had you fun no- The Hulk shakes his head. Not done! Not done!

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

He can't take his eyes off the other guy. Literally, the other guy right in front of him. Bruce has never seen his monster like this before. It's unnerving in a way. He swallows, not sure what to say. "...think I had a dream like this once." It was more like a nightmare really.

He's knocked flat on his back from the poke back into the soft grass. Was he...playing with him? Bruce actually chuckles, trying to sit up again. "Easy there...big guy..." That sounded so weird to say aloud. He still smiles ruefully. "I'm kind of fragile right now."

[notmeanorgreen.livejournal.com]

The Hulk tilts his head in confusion. Whaaaat..? He wants you to change back. The creature huffs. Skinny scientists always ruin the fun. That is a lesson it has came to learn over the years. It doesn't choose to obey him. At first. but some inner coaxing has the Hulk doing yoga breathing with it's eyes closed. Even then you can tell how displeased the monster is.

After a few minutes of this,the shrinking starts. Green recedes all around. Finally all that is left in the creature's wake is a swaying Bruce Banner in too big pants.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Even he can't hold back a smirk at how annoyed the Hulk was with this exercise. At least he finally goes through with it, Bruce wasn't even sure if it was going to work.

Then it happens....and Bruce can't take his eyes off the whole process. In fact, he stares at the swaying man for a whole five seconds before he can get himself to move forward and try to catch him before he can fall.

"...we've got to stop meeting like this," he says half-jokingly.